Anika Therapeutics (NSDQ:ANIK) announced this month that CEO Charles Sherwood plans to retire after working for Anika for nearly twenty years. Joseph Darling, who has been Anika’s president since July 2017, will take his place in the corner office.
Darling has previously served in executive leadership roles across an array of medtech companies like Abbott (NYSE:ABT), Baxter (NYSE:BAX) and Smith & Nephew (NYSE:SNN).
“First, I would like to thank Chuck Sherwood for his close to two decades of commitment to Anika and for establishing Anika as a global innovator in joint health and tissue repair,” chairman Joseph Bower said in prepared remarks. “Chuck Sherwood built Anika as we know it. As CEO for 15 years, he has delivered outstanding product innovation and development and operational, commercial, and financial achievements.”
“Among the most important responsibilities of a CEO is preparing for succession. That process began almost two years ago with discussions between Chuck Sherwood and the board followed by an extensive search. The handing of the CEO mantle to Joe Darling reflects Anika’s evolution to a new and exciting phase of direct commercial activity, driven by a series of novel technologies that can both disrupt and expand the growing need for non-opioid joint pain solutions and more effective orthopedic regenerative healing technologies,” Bower added.
“Anika is at the cusp of transformational growth. It is an honor and a great opportunity to lead such a talented group of people as we seek to invest in and deliver a series of novel and impactful new treatments to the global orthopedic community over the coming years,” Darling said.
“Our mandate going forward is clear – we plan to make Anika’s HA-based solutions a standard of care for a number of the most common conditions associated with aging and injury. By achieving that goal through the U.S. launch of Cingal and other innovative therapies, along with driving financial value associated with a direct commercial effort, we believe we will position the company to accelerate revenue and earnings growth over the next several years and beyond.”
West’s finance exec to retire later this year
West Pharmaceutical Services‘ (NYSE:WST) chief financial officer, SVP and treasurer intends to retire later this year. The company said it is conducting an external search for a successor to William Federici.
“With our company in a strong financial position and well-poised for future growth, and with the close of the 2017 reporting season, it is the right time to begin this important chapter for my family and me,” Federici said in prepared remarks. “It has been my great pleasure to serve this incredible company as CFO for nearly 15 years. I thank Eric Green, our Board of Directors and our prior leaders for giving me the opportunity to be a part of West’s impressive history.”
“Bill Federici’s leadership at West has been outstanding. Since 2003, he has served as a critical member of the management team that crafted the strategy which led West to grow reported net sales by more than $1 billion and market capitalization by $6 billion,” Eric Green, president & CEO, added. “He has personified our West values, always thinking about how we can better serve our customers, shareholders, employees and the patients we ultimately serve, and he will be missed. While Bill will be active in the transition, I want to take this opportunity to thank him for the many ways he has contributed to West’s success.”
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Pertinax Pharma names biz dev manager
Pertinax Pharma has appointed Paul Williams to be the company’s business development manager. Wiliams, alongside Pertinax’s chairman Nigel Brooksby, will be responsible for executing the company’s commercial plan, according to Pertinax.
“Paul’s appointment comes as we ramp up our presence in the global woundcare market, having already established preliminary discussions with a number of multinational providers. Our intention is to proliferate our Pertinax technology so that it is one of the first things our customers’ customers ask for when commissioning new products,” CEO Michele Barbour said in prepared remarks.
“We are delighted with Paul’s appointment. It’s a significant step for our ambitions. His extensive international network of industry contacts in the R&D, production, commercial and marketing fields, together with his expertise and experience, makes him a perfect fit for the role. Indeed, he will prove an invaluable asset to the company as we drive the business forward and implement our strategy for growth,” Barbour added.
“What I am excited about is just how disruptive it will be. In my view, within a couple of years, you will see all major woundcare providers looking to adopt this type of innovation,” William said.
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Medherant appoints medtech vet as head of development
Medherant this month named David Davies as head of development as the company gears up for the clinical development of its ibuprofen Tepi patch.
Davies previously served as lead consultant at DDPC Ltd and chief development officer at Futura Medical.
“I am delighted to be joining Medherant at this exciting stage in the company’s growth and development,” Davies said in prepared remarks. “My previous experience, particularly working with topical gels at Futura Medical, will be useful in developing patch-based products at Medherant. I’m looking forward to working with the rest of the team to deliver value growth for our investors and novel, exciting and effective products for our customers.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome David to the Medherant team,” COO Sally Waterman added. “His knowledge of all aspects of the drug development pathway, and his experience in developing internal and external teams to help deliver company growth, will be invaluable as Medherant moves to the next stage of its evolution.”
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West names SVP, chief digital & transformation officer
West Pharmaceutical Services‘ (NYSE:WST) named Silji Abraham as SVP and chief digital & transformation officer last month. Abraham will be responsible for overseeing the company’s IT and enterprise business systems organizations, according to West.
“Silji Abraham is a seasoned executive with a track record of delivering growth and driving change at multinational companies in the life sciences, industrial automation and automotive sectors,” Eric Green, president & CEO, said in prepared remarks. “As West continues to execute our long-term strategy to serve as the leader in the integrated containment and delivery of injectable medicines, the effective use of technology and strong business processes will be critical to our success, and I am confident Silji will speed our transformation in both of these areas.”
Most recently, Abraham served as EVP and chief information officer at MilliporeSigma.
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